UK’s first island micro grid goes online in Wales

At CAT, wind, hydro and solar energy work together with an intelligent control system that can connect and disconnect to the National Grid whenever necessary. This creates an ‘island’ energy system that has the ability to connect automatically to the grid to receive power and supply surplus energy.

The micro grid system, also known as ‘island generation’, is the first of its kind in the UK. While not yet available commercially, the system will be operational at the CAT visitor’s centre, at Machynlleth, Wales, as a demonstration project for businesses and small communities that are interested in harnessing the system. It will also function as part of CAT’s MSc courses in renewable energy and sustainable architecture, allowing further research and refinement.

CAT says the key to a continuous, efficient and sustainable energy supply is that the intelligent electronic control system will regulate power generation according to demand. At normal operation, micro grid generators will provide power to all the loads, with excess power exported to the National Grid. In the event of a power failure, the CAT electricity system will be isolated from the National Grid and the renewable generators will continue to operate as an island grid system. Meanwhile, a back-up battery also ensures that if there is no wind, sun, water or biomass, power can be delivered for at least three hours.

In heralding this ‘ground-breaking’ step towards more sustainable energy use, CAT highlights a number of supply and security issues that relate to use of fossil fuels in the UK. According to its research, the developed world’s centralised electricity systems waste around 65 per cent of energy through heat loss in power stations and transmission lines, before energy reaches homes and businesses. In addition, the electricity sector in the European Union (EU) is responsible for releasing more than 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide and over 2600 tonnes of dangerous radioactive waste every year. The EU also has a limited security of supply of fossil fuel resources, with only 0.6 per cent of oil, two per cent of gas, and 7.3 per cent of coal. Furthermore, more than half of Europe’s power plants are at least 20 years old, and will need to be replaced over the next decade.

CAT engineer for the micro grid project, Jase Kuriakose, said: “There is a vital need and enormous opportunity to move towards a more sustainable decentralised system, which protects the climate and provides future generations with secure energy”.

The island grid system is one of a number of different projects at CAT that are helping business and domestic users of energy work towards a zero carbon future.